A truly great shinobi can do many things. They're usually capable in all aspects of the ninja way, able to implement powerful genjutsu, ninjutsu and taijutsu techniques. Some skillfully wield advantageous ocular jutsu like the Sharingan, whilst others master forbidden techniques that give them an edge in battle.
A clear and obvious sign of a capable ninja is their ability to use a summoning jutsu. Securing a contract with a powerful summoning can offer a new approach to a battle. Throughout Naruto, fans have seen summoning effectively used to defeat opponents, save lives, and track criminals. An elite shinobi knows exactly when and how to use their summoning.
10 Sasuke Sacrifices Manda To Save His Own Life
Manda was a colossal serpent and the boss snake summon of the Ryuchi cave. He was a righteous and violent creature, only serving those he could not successfully defeat. His personality was so volatile that Kabuto once worried Manda might turn on Orochimaru if he discovered the extent of the Sannin's injuries.
During his battle with Deidara, Sasuke successfully summoned Manda and controlled the beast with his Sharingan. However, their relationship was short due to the fact that Sasuke summoned Manda moments before Deidara committed suicide via a huge explosion. Sasuke made his way out of Manda's body unscathed, but the snake couldn't survive the impact.
9 Minato Summons Gamabunta To Battle Kurama
Minato faced his toughest test as Hokage when tasked with defeating masked Madara and the summoned Kurama. His epic battle with Madara ended in victory for Minato, but he immediately teleported to the village and faced down the nine-tailed fox. There are few ninja capable of taking on a raging Kurama alone, so Minato summoned Gamabunta, making sure the giant toad landed on top of the tailed beast. It was an intelligent use of the summoning jutsu - unsurprising considering Minato was a recognized genius.
8 Team 7 Embody The Sannin And Take To The Battlefield
Over the course of the story, each member of Team 7 was tutored by the legendary Sannin. And like their teachers, each signed a contract with their respective summons, mirroring the journey of their predecessors. Kakashi once proclaimed that the next generation always surpasses the previous, and this proved true. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Team 7 and their summons took to the battlefield, inspiring the allied forces to never waiver. Finally, the new generation had surpassed the former.
7 Tsunade Provides The Ultimate Support During The Battle With Pain
Naruto was rightfully recognized as the hero of Konoha following his victory over Pain, but it's important not to forget Tsunade's vital contribution in a supporting role.
The medical-nin prodigy saved countless lives and effectively used her summoning, Katsuyu, to provide chakra to the injured. Pain bringing everyone back to life may have seemingly nullified the Hokage's efforts in the end, but Tsunade saved countless lives prior to Konoha's mass revival. On that day, she proved to be a worthy Hokage and justified her title as one of the legendary Sannin.
6 Jiraiya Summons The Great Sage Toads
There are few opponents capable of pushing the great Jiraiya to his limits. So it was exciting for fans to watch the great Sannin pull out all of the stops in his battle with Pain. With little knowledge of the nuances of Pain's abilities, Jiraiya was handicapped from the start, and his opponent also possessed the mythical rinnegan.
These unfavorable odds forced Jiraiya to summon the two great sage toads and enter sage mode. In this form, Jiraiya's physical stats were enhanced and the toads assisted him further with their genjutsu. But, in the end, it wasn't enough and Jiraiya the gallant met his end at the hands of the Akatsuki leader.
5 Naruto And Gamabunta Take On Shukaku And Gaara
At this point in his shinobi career, Naruto was still pretty hopeless. His summoning Jutsu was inconsistent at best, often summoning tadpoles instead of frogs. But the knuckleheaded ninja thrives in life and death situations, surpassing his limit and tapping into the limitless potential he always had. When confronted with the out-of-control Gaara and Shukaku, Naruto summoned Gamabunta and engaged in battle. This fight signified the beginning of Naruto and Gaara's relationship, with both ninja accepting themselves as more than just vilified Jinchuriki.
4 Hiruzen and Enma Worked In Tandem To Overcome Orochimaru
Early on in Naruto, before consistent power scales and fleshed out backstories, Hiruzen was considered the strongest Hokage in history, so it was only fitting that his summoning was equally impressive. Whilst fighting Orochimaru and the reanimated first and second Hokage, Hiruzen called upon Monkey King Enma to assist him and even the odds.
The pair had obviously worked together before and worked in perfect unison to push Orochimaru to his limit. What makes Enma especially devastating is his ability to transform into an extending staff, a skill no other summoning displayed.
3 Pain Had Access To Limitless Summonings
It's almost unfair how many abilities Pain can access. The villain's animal path grants the ability to summon various animals to aid him in battle. Traditionally, most shinobi only summon one, or one type, of animal. But viewers saw Pain summon dogs, birds, and even a chameleon.
If that wasn't enough, these summonings are seemingly immortal, as they appear again despite being killed earlier in battle. Pain tactically uses this path to overwhelm and exhaust opponents early on. They offer him the chance to fight from a distance and wait for his opponent to make a mistake. Jiraiya struggled to permanently put down Pain's dogs and they were effective in wearing down Naruto.
2 Kakashi Uses His Ninja Hounds To Track Sasuke
Unlike almost all other summonings, Kakashi uses his summoning for reasons other than fighting. His ninja hounds possess heightened senses and abilities, making them effective trackers capable of working effortlessly alongside other shinobi. Additionally, these dogs can converse with humans, walk on water and plan pragmatic battle strategies, increasing the chances of a successful mission.
Following Sasuke's defection from Konoha, Kakashi summoned his Ninken to aid Naruto and the rest of the recovery squad in tracking down Sasuke. They proved highly effective, narrowly missing Sasuke but leading the team to the village where the Uchiha was located.
1 Madara Summons The Ten-Tails So He Can Execute His 'Eye Of The Moon' Plan
The progenitor of chakra and intrinsically linked to the birth of the shinobi, the Ten-Tails is a summoning possessing monstrous power incomparable to all other summonings. The monster was once sealed inside Hagoromo, and the Sage Of The Six Paths would later divide the monster's chakra into nine tailed beasts, so as to not risk unleashing the monster upon humanity following his death.
Madara would later construct an intricate plan that included summoning the Ten-Tails and reuniting it with the nine tailed beasts. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Ten-Tails was a destructive force that overcame the combined efforts of some of the greatest shinobi in history.